The Department of Veterans Affairs plans in 2011 to create prototypes to help bring its more than 30-year-old VistA electronic medical record system into the Internet age.

The prototypes will include a browser-based user interface and a multi-tiered technical architecture to serve as a foundation for VistA modernization, according to VA's annual Performance and Accountability Report, published Nov. 15. The document is an annual report card of how well an agency carries out its programs and benefits.

The prototypes will be based on the Aviva system, which stands for "A Virtual Implementation of VistA," The prototype would be Web-enabled, modular in design and capable of easily exchanging health records with other EMRs and organizations using standards built for the nationwide health information network.

VA has said it needs to revamp VistA because it is difficult to exchange data with external partners. That is the aim of its Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER) project, designed to set up an integrated lifetime electronic record for service members from their induction into the military through their retirement years.

The existing version of VistA also requires changes or bug fixes to be made individually on the thousands of computers across the VA system. In contrast, Aviva aims to be scalable, modular, efficient and current.